Awake in the World

Simple Living 101: Letting Go of Fluff Stuff

Much of what we think we need is really fluff stuff. It’s not vital to living a full and meaningful life. It simply weighs us down and makes the journey harder. Have you ever tried travelling with a lot of baggage? It’s hard to maneuver. If you’re on a train it blocks the aisles. If you take a plane it costs a lot. In both cases when you get to the destination if you can’t find a porter (they’re virtually non-existent these days), then it’s a challenge to figure out how to move ahead with so much trailing behind and around you.

Life is much the save. Simple living is a virtue. Keeping possessions to a minimum is a way to conserve natural resources and travel light on the spiritual journey. Have you heard people who have lost homes in a natural catastrophe? The wise ones often say, “We’re alive and that’s what counts.” They face the challenges with courage and rebuild in a new and better way. They view the loss as an opportunity.

A lot of people talk about simple living, but not many actually do it. Plagued by desires for so many possessions, we often find it hard to cut back and live with just what is necessary. Many people keep storage facilities filled with stuff that no longer fits in their homes.

Today, consider what you can do to simplify your life. Start by clearing out closets – both inner (inside your soul) and outer (in the garage, closets and storage facility). If you have a storage facility, consider what you might sell or donate to others. The things you have around that you never use may be of great help or bring joy to others. Try giving away something without expecting a financial return or even a thank you.

Move inside and look at what kind of personal baggage you need to let go of. I cut out coffee (an addiction I loved, but did bad things to my digestive system), gave away many of my things that I did not use and I stopped holding grudges. All of these things made me feel lighter and happier. What will you let go of today?

Bio: Debra Moffitt is author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life. A visionary and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices at the Sophia Institute and other venues in the U.S. and Europe. Her mind/body/spirit articles, essays and stories appear in publications around the globe and were broadcast by BBC World Services Radio. She has spent over fifteen years practicing meditation, working with dreams and doing spiritual practices. Visit her online at http://www.awakeintheworld.com.

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